CALDWELL, Idaho — A current Idaho state representative and Caldwell city councilman attended the sentencing of a former police officer -- convicted of three federal felonies -- to show his support this week.
Rep. Chris Allgood, R-Caldwell, was among the 65 people who wrote a letter of support for former Caldwell Police Lt. Joey Hoadley.
Allgood also retains his seat on the Caldwell City Council. At Tuesday night's council meeting, Allgood told KTVB he wanted to support the former high-ranking officer because he "did a lot of very good things for this city."
Allgood served as Caldwell's police chief from 2007 to 2015, as Hoadley's superior.
Allgood wasn't the chief when Hoadley committed the crimes he's convicted of, however. He maintains he knows nothing about the wrongdoing and said he "didn't pay attention to the trial."
Hoadley was convicted of three federal felonies in his duty as a police officer and was sentenced to three months in federal prison on Monday for tampering with documents and harassing witnesses.
The charges against hoadley stem from a years-long FBI investigation into the Caldwell Police Department, which was spurred by several other Caldwell Officers coming forward and reporting Hoadley's abuse of power.
"My experience with Joey Hoadley was a positive one. I did not have any reason to doubt his actions. My letter and my being there was based on my experience. I don't have any inside information..." Allgood said. "My involvement is based on my experience with the years that i worked with him."
Another sitting Caldwell Councilmember, John McGee, wrote a letter to the court about Hoadley.
McGee wouldn't confirm or deny the letter was written in support.
As previously reported, Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor testified as a witness during hoadley's sentencing, where he said Hoadley is a "good man."
Taylor later faced backlash for his comments of support. All canyon county law enforcement leaders denounced Taylor's actions in a joint statement they released late Tuesday night.
The statement says,
"On behalf of all Canyon County law enforcement chief executive officers, we are unified in our dismay as we learned that our duly elected Prosecuting Attorney, Mr. Bryan Taylor, testified in support of a defendant in a federal sentencing hearing.
The citizens of Canyon County expect their leaders in law enforcement to advocate for the community, for victims, and for justice. Today, we believe Mr. Taylor displayed quite the opposite when he advocated for leniency on behalf of an individual that was lawfully convicted of serious crimes. We are
particularly troubled because the crimes Mr. Hoadley was convicted of reflect poorly on our profession and on Canyon County law enforcement.
Police legitimacy is predicated upon public trust and requires a mutuality of confidence between law enforcement and the community. The erosion of that trust continues to be a national concern due to actions by a select few. We believe testimonies such as Mr. Taylor’s weaken the confidence that our
community has in the criminal justice system, as well as in their leaders.
Today, we as leaders of our respective agencies, profess publicly that we will work diligently to strengthen and restore that community trust, and that we will use our platforms to promote the betterment of the whole, and not just the individual, regardless of any personal or professional relationships that may exist between us and those who harm our communities.
Signed,
Sherriff Kieran Donahue, Canyon County; Chief Jeff Smith, Middleton Police Department; Chief Joe Huff, Nampa Police Department; Chief Dusty Tveidt, Wilder Police Department; Chief Rex Ingram, Caldwell Police Department; Chief Robert Topie, Parma Police Department"
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